Students of the School of Medical Imaging technology at the Collage of Health Management and Technology Rivers State, have staged a protest at the office of the Provost, Peace Chigozirim-Amadi, over issues bothering on high fees and departmental leadership.
The aggrieved protesters demand the immediate removal of the Head of Department (HOD), Egba Ifeanyichukwu Nwachukwu, for allegedly exploiting the students and concerns surrounding his academic qualifications, which they claim is not good for the image of the school.
They further alleged that a non-professional is heading the School of Medical Imaging Technology, a development they insist contravenes established standards and practices in the field.
In an interview with our correspondent, a student who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that the situation has forced some students to abandon the programme, stressing the need for urgent intervention by the government and relevant regulatory bodies.
“We have been seeing so many atrocious stuff happening around the department,
the cost of increment, departmental fees now more than the school fees itself.
And when we agitated the first time, management said they would look into it, at the end of the day, we found out that management did not do anything.
Now.”
“And he’s not even giving course, allocating course to a student to be teaching the fellow student.
And this student is not an exceptional student or a student that is on distinction.”
“The money is too much. Students are dropping, I am not even sure if I can afford this money, which will lead to me dropping out from the college. Some of the students just one year, others have barely three months and they have left the college because they are not able to meet up with these payments. It is a very bad law.”
“So we want the government to intervene, let the school do something about it.”
Another student also lamented that the HOD do not have the professional qualifications to lead the department.
“I have a question to ask; what is so special about this Dr. Egba that the management has failed to listen to the student complaint? This current pressure and increment in price, dropping of qualified lecturers, appointing unqualified students to teach in the department, it has led to a lot of controversies in the department. And it is affecting us financially.”
Responding to the protesters the Provost, Peace Chigozirim-Amadi, expressed concern over the issues raised and the circumstances that led to the demonstration. She, however, assured the students that steps are being taken to address their grievances.
The Provost also highlighted some measures already implemented, including a reduction in fees.
